Echoes of Silence
by Golden Vampire Eyes
Summary: Bella's life has never been simple; vampires and wolves filling up her entire world. After Edward leaves, this world was supposed to disappear with him, but fate has a very twisted way of doing things. Bella ends up further into this mystical world than she ever would have imagined. Set after Edward leaves in New Moon
1. Demons

**Hey everyone! I'd just like to welcome you to a new story that I have in the works! It is still a work in process and I'm not sure how often I'll be able to update since my life is pretty crazy and I am working hard on my other story, Eternal Sacrifices, but I have been dying to get it posted for you guys to read! I hope you enjoy it! It might be a little OOC but I will try to keep things in character. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or the characters; they belong rightfully to Stephenie Meyer.**

**Enjoy!**

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><p><em>You gave up the fight<br>You left me behind  
>All that stands forgiven<br>You'll always be mine  
>I know deep inside<br>All that stands forgiven_

_Watched the clouds drifting away_  
><em>Still the sun can't warm my face<em>  
><em>I know it was destined to go wrong<em>  
><em>You were looking for the great escape<em>  
><em>To chase your demons away<em>

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><p>Once you are born, there are only two things guaranteed: life and death. Sometimes, people get lucky in life. They fall madly in love, have beautiful children, and live happily ever after. Other times, people end up like me. They fall in love and get their heart broke.<p>

I didn't just fall in love with _him. _I felt myself detach from the planet and revolve around him like he was the sun and I was the Earth. There was nothing I wanted more out of life. I never fit in while I was growing up, and I could die peacefully knowing very well that my parents were happy. I didn't just get my heart broken: it was ripped into a million pieces, impossible to put back together.

Of course, as always, life will have some type of drama in it. I wouldn't say that my drama was the normal eighteen year old drama. My best friend has a body temperature of 108 degrees, he always disappears late at night, and sometimes he never returns my phone calls. The love of my life left me heartbroken and shattered after his brother nearly killed me on my birthday. I was almost murdered by a sadistic man named James. There is an evil woman tracking me down to kill me. Did I mention that they are all mythical creatures that people only believe to exist in fairytales?

I entered myself into a world full of mystic beings and I'd even go out as far to say: magic. This is something that I have no control over. I'm the helpless human who wasn't good enough for the beautiful, strong, alluring, and dazzling vampire. It was hard to face the truth; I would never be good enough for him.

Even when I felt as if my entire world was falling apart; life continued forward, dragging me along with it. It feels like forever that they have been gone, but it has only been five months. I couldn't remember what it felt like to smile. I had been a zombie; almost the walking dead; since September. I hurt the ones that I love. Charlie had nearly sent me to live with Renee when he couldn't take it anymore. That's when I broke. I couldn't leave this town- it was my only proof that he was real.

I started hanging out with Jake soon after Charlie had threatened me. He brought out the best of me that he could. I was actually beginning to feel happy. I'd see _him _when I was doing reckless things with Jake. We had rode motorcycles, gone cliff diving, and even went parasailing. I was never into adrenaline, but lately, I guess you could say I was a junkie looking for my next fix.

Soon as you think things are turning around; something always goes wrong. Jacob had warned me that Victoria had been around. Victoria wanted revenge for her mate- James. Jacob promised that the pack would do everything they could to protect me- and he wasn't kidding.

I sighed, coming out of my thoughts. It was mid-February and the temperatures were very harsh. The window that _he _use to always come in through was before me. The dark black eyes from the forest met mine. I could tell it was Sam and Jacob standing guard this night. They had been driving themselves up the walls protecting me, and my guilt was starting to become to much.

I grabbed my brown parka and headed outside to meet them. I could never get over how huge they really were. Sam was the biggest out of all the pack. He stood taller than a horse on all fours. Jacob nuzzled his huge head into my side. His warmth quickly began heating my body.

"You guys haven't seen any signs of Victoria for weeks," I said tentatively. "You need to go home and get rest. Charlie and I are fine." Jacob's big round eyes were protesting. Sam nudged him with his nose, communicating in their weird wolf way. I looked at him, pleading for them to get some rest. "Emily would probably like some time with you." I said softly, looking at Sam. I could see his black eyes fill with immediate devotion for Emily. Just speaking her name would send Sam off into his imprinted land.

Sam nudged Jake again, this time noticeably harder. Jake whimpered softly, nuzzling his into me again. He pointed his long snout towards the house, clearly telling me that I had to go back inside before they'd leave. I ran my hand through his fur once more before smiling and heading back into the warmth of the house.

I crawled into bed, the loneliness searing its way through the hole in my chest. It was times like this I hated the most. When I had nobody to worry about and nothing to think about. I did everything I could to keep my mind away from poisoned thoughts.

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><p><em><strong>3:00 A.M<strong>_

I awoke with a start. Sweat poured off my body like a faucet. I could hear my heart beat through my ears. This wasn't the same. I didn't have a nightmare tonight. My body was paralyzed with pure fear when I saw the silhouette in the rocking chair. I felt my breath catch in my throat. It couldn't possibly be _him._ He told me that he didn't want me anymore. I tried my best to control the pounding of my heart.

"E-Edward?" I stammered, wincing as I spoke his name. It was something I very rarely did. I could hear the figure chuckle a little. It didn't sound like Edward's smooth laugh. It was high pitched and sadistic.

"Wrong." The voice whispered as they took a step out into the light from the moon. I could see fire. Fire was ablaze all around my window. My heart lurched to my feet. Victoria.

She noticed that I recognized who she was. I felt like someone was squeezing my throat so tight that I couldn't speak.

"Do you know why I'm here?" She asked quietly. My mind immediately raced to Charlie. What if she killed him? All I could do was helplessly shake my head as tears pooled into my eyes. She walked slowly close to the bed, and I felt myself involuntary cower under my blanket. "Speak." She ordered. Her voice was the high soprano I feared. If it were possible, ice could have came out of her mouth from how cool her voice was.

"N-No." I stammered. I could see her sparkling white teeth as she smirked and circled to the other side of my bed. She was the hunter, and I was the prey.

"Vengeance." She practically cackled. She was still being so quiet, so I hoped that she hadn't killed Charlie. She came closer until she was just a few inches away from my face. I could see how black her eyes were- she was starving. My mind was racing with possible escape plans, but I knew each one would fail. If I could lead her away from Charlie, maybe things would be okay.

"Edward took away the only thing that mattered to me in this damned life." She seethed, and I cowered back once again. She then slapped me on my face, leaving me in complete shock. She didn't slap me hard enough to bruise, but initial feel of her cold skin left a sting. I peered around the room as she continued her banter. "I feel it is only right to avenge James by killing you. The one thing Edward cares about most, even though your just a weak human." I grimaced at hearing his name.

"You're wrong." I whispered, my voice barely audible to my own ears. She arched one perfectly sculpted eyebrow at me. "He doesn't love me. He left me." A wicked grin spread across her face.

"I couldn't see how he could love such a helpless human. Maybe that is what attracted him? How you were so fragile, so weak, so pathetic." She hissed mercilessly. I could feel the tears pool in my eyes again. She jumped back, circling the room again, inspecting everything that I owned. When she had her back to me, that's when I made my move. I knew I wouldn't make it, but I couldn't die knowing I didn't try. I leapt for the window, and surprisingly made it out. The ice cold hit me like a thousand knives, making my breath leave me in a gasp.

I landed with a loud thud and a sickening snap. Through the pain, I managed to see Victoria, still in my bedroom. She must have thought it was pointless to go after me, seeing as I wouldn't get far. She would rather have me suffer with the pain I caused myself. Feebly, I tried to slide away as far as I could from the house. Every centimeter I moved sent stabs of pain through my entire body, but I couldn't stop trying.

Thankfully, I had grabbed my phone in the process of leaping out the window. Silently as I could, I pressed my speed dial and turned the speaker sound off. I knew he could hear what was going on. I wished for two things: that he would save me; and that he wouldn't. I couldn't stand it if he got hurt, but with the others on his side, it might be an easy win. Peering over my shoulder, I could see Victoria jumping out of the window, moving at my same pace. I had only made it about 10 feet from where I fell.

"You're brave." She muttered, suddenly appearing next to me. The pain caused my vision to blur, making her look even more on fire. I felt another sickening snap as she stepped on my arm.

"I'm going to put you through hell." She hissed, dragging her sharp nails across my face. I cried out in pain, trying to scramble to my feet. I could feel the warm liquid leaking down from my cuts. Struggling to see Victoria through the haze of pain, I barely made out the fact that she was growling-from thirst.

She was suddenly on top of me, pinning my arms down. I could faintly remember Edward saying that a little bit of blood could send a vampire into a frenzy. Victoria looked absolutely terrifying. Her lips were curled over her teeth as she breathed in deeply, enjoying my scent. I could feel the life slipping away from my body. I felt a sharp stab to my neck- and then I felt the fire engulfing me alive. A strangled cry escaped my lips, but I bit back all other sounds, fearing for Charlie's life. I struggled to remain conscious as I felt the weight and cold being thrown from my body. As I let go of my consciousness, the last thing I saw was a fire being ripped from porcelain.

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><p><strong>That was a fun first chapter, right?! It has been forever since I have published a new story and I'm sorry about that! I have working on cleaning up my old stories since they were really bad, so I hope you enjoy this one! Like I said earlier, I have been putting a lot of work into Eternal Sacrifices, but I wanted to get this story out for you guys to read. <strong>

**This story hit me like a train and I'm super excited to see where it goes even though I have it planned out! Read and review and let me know what you thought! I really appreciate hearing what you have to say and it motivates me to work on it! **

**Song: Forgiven by Within Temptations (which I do not own)**

**Love,**

**GVE**


	2. Reborn

**Chapter Two: Reborn**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or the characters. They belong to Stephenie Meyer.**

_My senses tell me I have changed_  
><em>But one thing still remains<em>  
><em>I'm torn and the hate's still aching<em>  
><em>I slowly start to realize<em>  
><em>We won't reunite<em>  
><em>I still have to march on through<em>

_I dream of a stairway to the skies_  
><em>My angel is coming down from heaven to take me<em>  
><em>I reach out but then you fade away<em>  
><em>Whenever you call for me<em>  
><em>Know that I'm only one step behind<em>

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><p>The flames were <strong>EATING ME ALIVE! <strong>The fire scorched throughout my body, lighting every cell on fire. I could barely see through the haze of darkness that was brought along with the fire. Short glimpses of Edward would pass through my mind. It would give me temporary relief from the flame. His voice sounded clear as glass in my mind.

"It'll be over soon." He would whisper, before fading back into the darkness. I wanted to cry out to my angel. I wanted him to come save me! I couldn't form words to protest his leaving. It was something Edward was skilled at. It was as if he was taunting me. He would come so close to holding me in his arms, then disappear back into the black. It tore a new hole into my flaming heart each time.

I could faintly feel myself being shifted time to time. I had no clue who was doing it, but I figured out, the more I held still, the less the flame burnt. I had no idea how long I was burning alive. It could have only been minutes, but it felt like hours to me. Victoria had got her vengeance for James. This hell that I was placed into was the worst thing I had ever gone to. I just wondered when I would reach the end of this tunnel and be left in darkness.

Renee use to always tell me that when we died, we went through a tunnel and would be greeted by a bright light. I had never listened to her, of course. I just thought it was another hobby that she would be flying right through. Suddenly, she seemed to be right. I could start hearing something besides the silent reverie in my head. There were hushed whispers coming from somewhere nearby. Maybe another room? That was only if I was in a house.

"She should be waking up soon," One of the rough voices said harshly. "The bloodsucker said it only takes between two and three days. We are at the end of the third day." I could hear someone shuffling their feet as they moved to sit down. I heard the familiar sound of a chair scraping against the floor, but this time, it sounded so much more clearer and vivid. It was like I was right next to the chair hearing it squeal.

"Don't worry." A familiar voice said quietly. "It won't be long." I could hear a sneer from another one of the people.

"What if she wakes up and kills us all?" A gruff voice demanded. By the voices, I could tell they were all fairly large men. Is this the gates of hell? I pondered over the thought as more senses came back to my body. I breathed in slowly, inhaling a scent so repulsive that I nearly gagged. It smelled worse than the goat liver that Charlie use to love to eat. My mind quickly rushed to Charlie, trying to push through the little bit of haze that was left to know if he was alright. I felt the feeling return in all my limbs, and I moved them cautiously. I surprised myself at how easily they moved and how gracious just a tiny movement seemed. I felt a thick layer cover my teeth, sharpening them to a deadly point. It was then I decided to open my eyes.

As soon as I opened my eyes, I realized what I was. I realized what Victoria did. She created me into the thing that Edward refused to. She stole my humanity right out from underneath me. She snatched my chance at death away. Technically, I already was dead. I was the living proof of death.

As I looked around, I felt like I had never seen the world before this moment. Everything was so clear. It was sharp to a point where I felt like I was viewing everything on a three-dimensional scale. I could see the tiniest details on the fabric of a sheet that was laid over my body. The colors were so vivid. I quickly recognized where I was at. I was in the living room of the old Cullen home. The pale on pale contrast was very familiar to me. There was hardly anything in the house. There was the couch that I was laying on, which had been here when they had. Other than that, there was nothing in the living room. It was just a huge, empty room. I could hear the pounding of three hearts. I could hear the blood running through their veins and a burn was at the back of my throat.

"She's awake." The rough voice that spoke last spoke again. The repulsive smell got stronger, as did the sound of the beating heart. As the man rounded the corner from the kitchen into the living room, I gasped at who it was. A snarl that was so feral escaped my lips, shocking us both. Remorse quickly filled my eyes as the memories of him and I returned.

"Jacob." I whispered, scaring myself at the sound of my voice. I no longer had the boring, human voice of Bella Swan. It was chiming bells, just like all of the Cullen's. I winced inwardly at thinking their name. It was still a fresh wound in my mind.

Jacob's face was strained with pain, and I wanted to hug him, making it all go away. He was still just as huge as I remembered him. Everything was defined now though, and I could see his veins clench as his heart sped up.

"Bella." Was all he said. Two more men rounded the corner, and I recognized them to be Jake's best friends: Quil and Embry. They both were much more defined in muscles since the last time I saw them. I guess it would be different considering this is my first time seeing them through vampire eyes.

With one swift movement I was on my feet, standing before them. I could see a shiver run down the spine of each of them. They were making a huge sacrifice by being here for me. We are now mortal enemies.

"Do you remember what happened?" Quil asked, eyeing me cautiously. I nodded.

"Victoria bit me." I said, and quickly remembered Charlie. "Is my Dad okay?" Jake seemed relieved that he wouldn't have to explain the details of my brutal death over to me.

"The leech didn't touch him." Embry said with so much scorn in his voice. I was saddened because I realized that now, that is what I would be to him. A worthless, no good, blood sucking leech. Jake sniveled quietly.

"I'm so sorry that I didn't get there in time Bells." He whispered, falling to his knees. He wasn't able to keep his eyes on me for long. I guess seeing me becoming what he hated most was breaking him down. I slowly went to him, or at least I think I went slowly, but I couldn't be sure because Embry and Quil both growled when I was next to Jake.

"I'm okay." I promised as I put my hand on Jake's shoulder. He flinched and pulled away. I bit my lip softly, realizing how cold I would feel to him. "I'm sorry." He shook his head and suddenly pulled me to him. I gasped at the sudden movement, and how bad he smelled. I held my breath as long as I could. I could feel his heart pounding beneath my hand. He was lucky he stunk so much or else this would have been very dangerous for the both of us.

"I am the one who should be sorry. If I never would have left the house, you would still be alive. You wouldn't be damned to hell like you are now. I could have saved your soul!" He roared, jumping back from me. He was shaking with the tremors that rocked through his body. Quil and Embry quickly began calming him down, but it showed little effect. I wish I could cry. I felt like tears were filling my eyes, but they were never falling. I couldn't help but to think of Edward, and how badly I wished he was here. I knew that he would never want me now. I was what he never wanted me to become. I was just like him. I had to live forever knowing that he doesn't love me, that he never did. I swallowed, the burn lighting slowly, but fading away as I looked into the guilt ridden eyes of my best friend.

"Jake, it's not your fault. I was the one who told you to leave." I whispered, stepping closer to him. I made sure I went at an average pace this time. I never realized how much effort it took to stay slow. "Please don't feel bad. I can't live with the guilt of you feeling like you caused this for the rest of forever."

"Look at what she did, Bella." He whispered, shuddering as he pulled me towards the bathroom. The reflection in the mirror was not quickly distinguishable as me. The woman had long, luscious hair that flowed to her waist. It was a deep mahogany color. Her body was full and curvy, and very beautiful. Her skin was just as pale as the Cullen's, with a luminescent glow to it. She looked at her face then quickly looked away. Her eyes- my eyes, were a piercing ruby red. I understood now why Jake couldn't bear looking at me.

"The color won't last for long." I murmured, looking down at my hands. Jake softly cupped my face in his hands. The touch of his skin made me want to shed out of mine, but I controlled my movements. I knew he meant no harm. Regardless if we were mortal enemies or not, he is still my best friend.

"You're beautiful." He said, staring straight into my eyes. I could see the reflection of my red eyes in his brown ones. I looked away quickly. "But, you stink." He laughed. I couldn't help but laugh along with him. We both stopped in shock of my laugh. It sounded like wind chimes blowing in the air. It would definitely take some time getting use to that. It was nice to feel that Jake was not resentful towards me, but as for the rest of the pack, I had no clue what to expect. It was obvious that Quil and Embry didn't hate me, why else would they stay with Jake? As if on cue, Quil and Embry came into the bathroom with us. The stench was absolutely disgusting, and worse since we were in a closed space.

"Well you don't smell like a bouquet of flowers either, Jake." I laughed, holding my nose in mockery. Quil and Embry both laughed.

"What happens now?" Embry asked, eyeing me. I sighed, breathing in deeply. The flame burst back alive in my throat.

"I need to hunt." I said, and all of their eyes got wide for what was ahead.

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><p><strong>Yes, I know, another cliffy. I'm sorry, but you love it <strong>** I hope all my readers are enjoying the story. I have a good feeling that it will come a long way. Please review and tell me what you think. **

**Song: Stairway to the Skies by Within Temptation **

**Love,**

**GVE**


	3. The Hunt

**Title: The Hunt**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or the characters. They belong to Stephenie Meyer**

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><p><em><strong>I fear who I am becoming,<strong>_  
><em><strong> I feel that I am losing the struggle within<strong>_  
><em><strong> I can no longer restrain it,<strong>_  
><em><strong> My strength, it is fading<strong>_  
><em><strong> I have to give in<strong>_

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><p>A million thoughts raced through my mind. I had absolutely no clue on how to hunt. It was something that Edward said I could never witness him do. He told me that when hunting, vampires give into their animalistic behaviors. I could probably be the only vampire on the face of the Earth that didn't know how to hunt. How embarrassing.<p>

"Is she alive?" Quil whispered. It was then that I noticed my eyes were closed and I was holding very still. I also had stopped breathing; it made the burn stop aching so dominantly. I slowly looked at him, questioningly.

"I wouldn't say alive." I muttered, still pondering over how I was going to accomplish this. I wonder if it were the same for wolves as it would be for humans when I'd be hunting. Would I be tempted to kill them if they were there? I doubted it because nothing on this earth smelled as horrible as they did. Maybe they would be able to show me how if my animalistic behavior has a defect.

"You were so still, you could have been a statue!" Embry barked, laughing as he did. I shrugged like it was completely obvious.

"It's a tendency of vampires." I could see each of them stiffen at the word. It wasn't one of their favorites, unless they were killing them. A huge grin suddenly spread across Jake's face.

"You don't know how to hunt?" He asked, trying to stifle his laughter. Quil and Embry put forth no effort at stopping their roars of laughter. I glared at them and shook my head at Jake. I felt completely pathetic. "Guess we get to teach you." He laughed.

"You don't think I'll hurt one of you, do you?" I asked, nervously biting my lip. Jake laughed once more before giving me a comforting smile.

"You couldn't if you tried." Quil howled with laughter before smiling playfully at me. I glared at him but lightened up once he smiled.

As if on cue, we began towards the forest behind the Cullen manor. Each of them took off towards the small creek that was not too far in the forest. As they leapt over it, they all morphed into their wolf forms. Seeing the transformation was incredible. It was like they were shedding their human skin, almost like it was a Halloween costume. I could see the energy ripple through their bodies as they combusted out of their human forms. It took less than a second to happen, but it felt like longer as I saw each detail of their bodies form back together.

I took off towards the direction they went. My grace surprised me highly. I was hoping that I wouldn't still be such a klutz as a vampire. I couldn't help but smile as I leapt over the creek just as skillfully as they did. Maybe hunting wouldn't be such a challenge? The thought was comforting.

The boys stunk even worse in their wolf forms. It nearly made me gag as I followed the scent to where they were running. I could hear the cars driving on the highway. Everything was so much clear. I understood now why Edward said we would never hit a tree. It was just like second nature.

The wolves stopped, sticking their noses in the air, inhaling deeply. I could smell what they did. It was a herd of deer, about two miles west of us. The burn went wild at the smell, and I took off towards the herd. I scaled the trees about a mile away from them, and leapt from tree to tree. Soon, I was perched on the edge of a large branch, staring down at the herd. I knew I didn't have much time if Jake and his friends decided to follow.

Quickly, I leapt onto the back of the largest buck I saw. The rest of the herd scatted fearfully. I heard his spine snap. The sound actually- thrilled me. My thirst was all that I could think about. There had to be someway to put out the burning. My razor sharp teeth sunk into the neck of the buck. It felt like biting into a piece of cotton candy. The warm liquid rushed into my mouth and the burn silenced as I drank greedily. The large thudding of paws told me that Jake and his wingmen were close. I slurped the rest of the blood out of the buck, and he went completely limp in my arms. It only took seconds for the entire hunt to take place. I couldn't believe that I was worried about being a defected vampire.

Jake barked, trying to laugh. I glared at him. The communication barrier was quite annoying. My best guess was that he was laughing at the fact that I knew how to hunt after all. Quil whimpered, pawing at the ground. I gave him a confused look. He nudged the deer with his nose and began to dig in the ground. Oh! He wanted me to bury the body. My sharp nails quickly dug through the thick soil as I pushed the carcass into it and buried it.

Jake whined loudly. I could tell that something had changed. The atmosphere had gotten increasingly tense as I had finished burying the deer. He motioned his head for me to follow them. We took off running away from the Cullen's land. We ran for about fifteen minutes when a strong stench of wolf hit me roughly. I couldn't help but physically gag. I realized then that we were at the infamous and invisible treaty line. Sam was waiting for us in his human form, with three wolves at his flank. I stared at Sam with my newfound eyesight. I never realized how muscled he truly was. His entire body was tense at our approach and I could see the beads of sweat forming on his forehead. His entire stature screamed Alpha and it made me reminiscent on the times when Jake was afraid of Sam. I wanted to laugh at the thought now since I knew him better, but I could still see it from that old perspective as well.

"Hello Bella." Sam said. I could tell it made him uncomfortable that I was a vampire now. His voice was strained, but Sam had impeccable control these days.

"Hi Sam." He stiffened at the sound of my voice. He clearly wasn't expecting it to sound so beautiful. I never gave much thought to how something I wanted so badly at one point in my life could affect the people that meant the most to me so easily. Everything changes when you transform.

"I know that the treaty wasn't broken, so they are still safe if they ever return. The one that changed you has been killed." Sam spoke very sternly. "Jake has told me that you have very good control already. I just want to make sure the people are safe. It is our duty to protect them."

"Sam, you know I would never hurt anyone in Forks or La Push. I wouldn't hurt any human. Just because I've been changed, doesn't change who I am." Sam nodded quietly.

"You've always been good to the people on La Push. I will have to talk to the council tonight to see what will be done." I raised my eyebrows at him, clearly confused. They wouldn't kill me, would they? "I mean, if they will allow you on La Push or not." I nodded with relief swimming through my being.

"I won't cause any trouble, Sam. You have my word." I was glad that the pack and I had become so close. It made this much easier than it would have been. "What does Charlie know? I asked, quietly.

"He thinks that the Cullen's came back and you decided to go with them. He's upset that you never said goodbye." I sighed silently to myself. I hated the fact that I had hurt Charlie, but I would rather him be hurt and alive than the latter. What I wouldn't give for that lie to be true. If the Cullen's could still love me, I would want nothing more than to be with them. Instead, my existence is going to be lonely and loveless.

"Thank you." My voice was barely a whisper. Sam nodded and turned to go back to the reservation. Quil and Embry left with the others while Jake stayed with me. "Go change so we can talk." I laughed at his lopsided wolf grin. He did as I asked and came back in a pair of cut off shorts. I bet they have stashes hidden in the forest since they ruin clothes so much. He still was truly beautiful, even if he smelled like a landfill.

"Well, that went good." Jake laughed, smiling.

"Was it suppose to go bad?"

"Nope!" He said, making a popping sound on the 'P'. It was still a shock to adjust to the fact that Jake was comfortable already being around me. I never imagined any of this going so well.

"Jake, I know I don't have any right to ask you this, but I was wondering if you could do me a favor?" I was tentative. I didn't want to push my luck with all the kindness I was receiving. Jake rolled his eyes.

"Bells, you can ask me anything. Nothing has changed between us." He grinned, and it made me feel better.

"Can you get me some clothes from Charlie's? I kinda have none." Jake smiled, nodding, motioning for me to follow him.

We headed off into the woods and started in the direction of Charlie's house, I assumed. It was a peaceful day outside even though I felt like my world was chaotic. The birds in the trees were still chirping away and I heard the sounds of squirrels skittering across the ground. The waves hitting the sand at First Beach sounded close even though they were miles away. The cloud cover was more dense today with the smell of rain becoming more and more prominent.

I didn't realize how long Jake and I had walked for, but I soon started to recognize the woods that were behind Charlie's house. The dark memories came into my mind from the haunting day that Edward left me. These woods were what I wanted to vanish into. I thought they would swallow me whole and I'd finally be at peace, but unfortunately, things don't always work out like we plan.

"Charlie isn't home, is he?" I asked Jake as the trees started to thin out in front of us. I didn't want to take the risk of smelling the air since I didn't have full understanding of how animalistic I was or could be.

"No. He's over with my Dad. He didn't want to be alone in the house." Jake said while looking at me with saddened eyes. It broke my heart that Charlie was hurting, but nothing could be changed now. Jake and I entered the backyard and easily got through the backdoor without leaving any signs that it had been opened. I'd have to ask Jake where he learned that eventually. As we entered the house, Charlie's scent enveloped me. The ache in my throat came back slightly, but it faded when I decided this was a mind over matter ordeal. I would not become what frightened everyone when they thought of vampires. I completely refused to become a monster. "Are you okay?" Jake's voice was full of concern and I looked up at him. I guess I was doing the freakish thing where I stood still for too long.

"Yeah. It's just that I can smell Charlie's scent and I was telling myself that I wasn't going to become a monster." I sighed as I tried to shake the negative feeling from my body. Jake sighed as well and put his hands on my shoulders.

"Bella, I won't let you become a monster. You are the farthest thing from it. Don't worry, okay?" His brown eyes were radiating with kindness and sincerity. I slowly moved to hug Jake, no matter how much it made either of us want to crawl out of our skin. We weren't going to let our nature destroy our friendship.

"Thank you, Jake, for everything you've done for me." I murmured into his chest. We pulled apart and Jake gave me a grin; his way of saying not to worry about it. I smiled softly at him before we headed up the stairs and into my old bedroom.

It didn't take long to gather some clothes in an extra backpack I had in the closet. I grabbed just enough that it wouldn't look any different to Charlie if he had come in here. The clothes would be tight on me since I filled out into a more curvaceous body during the transformation, but it would have to do for now. I also grabbed the money out of my wallet, which was only 100 dollars. It was like starting from scratch, but there wasn't a single thing I could do about it.

Jake and I headed into the woods again on our walk back towards the reservation. We were both quiet as we took in the scenery and were lost in our own thoughts. All of the peace came to an abrupt end when a smell hit me like a truck. It was hot human blood rushing throughout a body not to far from us. There must have been an open wound because it was one of the strongest smells I had ever experienced. The venom began to pool in my mouth as I felt the animalistic side begin to take over and within seconds I was running full speed towards the human.

* * *

><p><strong>Oh boy! <strong>

**Anyways, I am glad to see that you guys are enjoying this story! It has been pretty enjoyable writing it and I'm happy that people like it. **

**I want to give a shout-out to jasella dramione for reviewing a ton of my stories! I appreciate all the love and support you are giving me and I'm always excited to get a new reviewer! Thank you!**

**Be on the look out for the next chapter!**

**Song: It's The Fear by Within Temptation**

**Love,**

**GVE**


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